Improvement in combined blotters and paper-clips



cys. FARRINGTON. COMBINED BLOQTTER ANnPAPER-CLIP. 4 No. 186,288.VPatentedJa.r1.16,`1877.

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UNITED STATES PATENT (DEEICEC CHARLES B. FARRINGTON, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED BLOTTERS AND PAPER-CLIPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 186,288, dated January16, 1877; application filed November 14, 1876.

To all whom it ma/y concern: v

Be it known that I, CHARLES BALDWIN FARRINGTON, of the city and countyof Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Combined Blotter and Paper-Clip, of which I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and precise description, and sufficientto enable those skilled in the art to which my improvement appertains tocomprehend and construct it, ref erence being had to the accompanyingdrawing, forming part of this specification, of which- Figure lis aperspective view of my irnprovement, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal crossysection of the same, with the blotter-roller in transverse centralsection.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both thefigures.

The object of my invention is the production ofan improved blotter forordinary letter-writing, which shall not only subserve its ordinarypurpose in the most perfect and convenient manner, but shall, by anadaptation or rather utilization of parts incident to its ownconstruction, likewise subserve that of a letter-clip; to which end itconsists of the following parts, combined and arranged as hereinafterfully set forth and claimed.

A is the back board of an ordinary hanging spring-snap letter-clip ofany convenient dimension. B is a binding-strip adapted to be readilyattached to or removed from the back board by thumb-screws J, catches,or similar devices, and further adapted to compress beneath it andretain in position asheet of blotting-paper, H, of the width and lengthof the back board. Gis a hollow cylindrical roller,

which incloses a bar, D, passing through cap ends E on the roller, theprojecting'extremities of which bar are rigidly secured to across-handle and snap, F. G is a spiral band or other suitable springcoiled about the bar D within the roller C 5 and, after being closelycoiled, at one end secured to the bar D, and at the other to the -rollerC. The blottingpaper is affixed at its free end to the roller C bypaste, hooks, or catches, or other convenient means. II are curvedguards to receive the roller when coiled up and prevent its pass` ingover the binding-strip.

Such being its construction, the arrange- Vout by it across the backment and operation of my device are as fol- .when the roller isreleased, then acts to rotate the roller in an opposite direction tothat its rst rotation or winding up, and in so doing ro tates the rolleralong the back board winding up upon it the blotting-paper to which itis attached until the roller with the paper wrapped up upon it reachesand stops against the guards I I. The snap-handle is then released, andthe further recoil ot' the spring, the roller being' at rest, acts uponthe bar and handle, which latter up to this stagevof the action issupposed to have been held in the hand of the personv using the blotter,so as to force the transverse portion of the handle' down upon the backboard and keep it firmly down with a spring-tension, thus forming a snapor clip.

To operate the blotter the handle is grasped, elevated slightly, and theroller forcibly drawn board upon which, face up, the letter to beblotted is placed, or upon which in the clip a pad of Writingpaper hasbeen placed.

In blotting, pressure is to be exerted downward upon the handle, to dryin the most perfect manner.

The device is cheap, compact, and not liable to get out of order.

I claiml. llhe combination of the spring-controlled snaphandle F, withthe blotting-roller C, the back board A, and blotting-paper H, so as toform a letter-clip and blotter, as described.

2. As a combined blotting-pad and letterclip, the following parts incombination, viz: back board A, guards I I, strip B, blottingpaper H,roller C, spring G, bar D, and snaphandle F.

In ytestimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.A

CHAS. B. FARRINGTON.

